Karthago to be Nouvelair subsidiary under Tunisian tie-up

Merger of the private Tunisian carriers Nouvelair and Karthago Airlines will take the form of a share exchange, resulting in Karthago's becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Nouvelair.

But flag carrier Tunisair will not participate in the combination of the two airlines.

Tunisian transport minister Abderrahim Zouari formally revealed the plan this week at the Arab Air Carriers Organisation conference in Tunis. Karthago Airlines general manager Hedi Addassi says the merger should be concluded in November. Nouvelair is based in Monastir and operates Airbus A320-family aircraft, while Tunis-based Karthago has Boeing 737s.